Once Upon a Purple Summer
Once upon a purple summer, a special boy was born. He was spellbound by his mother’s singing voice and the melodies his father played on the piano.
The boy’s nickname was Skipper. His family was poor, he was small for his age, and he had epilepsy and was often bullied at school.
This is a story about how music saved his life.
Sometimes Skipper stood outside of restaurants, smelling food instead of eating because he didn’t have enough money to go inside.
Growing up, Skipper spent hours listening to the radio in his basement. He was enchanted by sound and production, mentally analyzing each instrument used in the music he listened to.
He began teaching himself to play as many instruments as he could get his hands on. He practiced recreating the tunes he heard, and by elementary school, he taught himself to play piano, guitar and drums.
By high school, Skipper had learned to play more than 27 different instruments.
When he was 18 years old, Skipper saved his pennies to create a demo of song he had written. He played each instrument himself to record the track.
After sending his demo out, multiple record labels wanted to sign him. He chose the record label that allowed him to produce his debut album on his own.
It would be his first of over 40 albums. The boy was a free spirit who danced with flair and dressed in purple.
He once wrote an entire album during a 3 hour plane ride; lyrics, arrangement and all — only to land and spend the next 4 days straight recording it.
Skipper went by many names, like Alexander Nevermind, Peter Bravestrong, Jamie Starr and Joey Coco.
You probably know him best as PRINCE.
Prince’s legacy has influenced generations of musicians and fans.
Music saved his life, along with practice, hard work and the ability to embrace his rare magic.
Celebrate Prince with these goods from the shop!
Young Prince from The Gentle Boys Collection
Little People Big Dreams: Prince
Onesies and Tees from The Idoles Collection
“To create something from nothing is one of the greatest feelings, and I would - I don't know, I wish it upon everybody.”
— PRINCE
